Staff Attorney

DEPARTMENT SUMMARY: The Legal Services Department provides trauma-informed and client-centered holistic services including consultations representation legal advocacy and safety planning to members of the LGBTQI communities with a focus on serving transgender non-binary and intersex adults immigrants at-risk of deportation and youth and seniors at risk of homelessness. Our clients are predominantly BIPOC survivors of violence and discrimination including domestic violence sexual assault stalking hate crimes/incidents and police/government misconduct. We have 4 inter-related projects: Community Legal Clinics Legal Advocacy Project for Survivors/Anti-Violence Project Immigration Law Project and Homeless Youth and Housing Rights Project. Each project serves clients at multiple locations including: the Trans Wellness Center in Koreatown Mi Centro in Boyle Heights Center South in Leimert Park and the Village and the Youth Centeracross from each other in Hollywood.

JOB SUMMARY:The Staff Attorney provides direct legal representation to and coordinates legal services for clients across the Center. This position involves cross-departmental collaboration referrals and service integration with a strong policy and advocacy component informed by client experiences. The position also manages data tracking and supports broader organizational goals through active participation in meetings and campaigns.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Direct Legal Services

• Provide full-scope legal representation to clients including drafting pleadings negotiation settlements and representing clients in administrative hearings and court proceedings
• Meet with clients to conduct intakes provide consultations triage urgent issues and answer legal questions
• Refer clients to Legal Services Department projects workshops clinics volunteer attorneys and external providers as appropriate
• Prioritize responses to client inquiries via phone email and other communication channels

Program Coordination

• Collaborate with all Legal Services Department projects and Center departments providing legal services
• Follow service protocols of core projects including LAPS Immigration and Homeless Youth and Housing Rights

Policy and Advocacy

• Support strategy and campaign development around transgender policy priorities in partnership with the Policy and Community Building Department
• Serve as a liaison to coalitions grassroots groups service providers and policy organizations
• Participate in local state and national advocacy efforts to advance transgender legal rights
• Develop and deliver Know-Your-Rights training and community education presentations to empower clients and community members with accessible legal information

Operations and Collaboration

• Input and track data maintain client files and prepare monthly reports
• Participate in internal and external meetings to support departmental and organizational integration
• Perform other duties as assigned

JOB QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Active California State Bar License
• Minimum 3 years experience in providing culturally responsive direct legal services in a non-profit setting
• Demonstrate the ability to quickly research analyze and become competent in new or unfamiliar areas of law to effectively advocate for clients
• Demonstrated organizational and time management skills and the ability to balance and prioritize multiple responsibilities including providing direct legal services data reporting and other administrative tasks that require attention to detail
• Experience ensuring client safety autonomy agency choice and empowerment
• Experience being part of creating and sustaining inclusive and engaging workspaces
• Emotional intelligence and empathy to build and maintain positive interactions trust and collaborations with clients team members and volunteers of varied backgrounds needs and abilities
• Strong communication skills both verbal and written with the ability to effectively convey complex legal information to non-lawyers
• Flexibility for occasional evening and community-based weekend work
• Bilingual skills preferred (English/Spanish verbal and written fluency)
• Access to reliable transportation and ability to be insured

The hiring range for this position in Los Angeles CA is$95589 - $107824per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidates job-related knowledge skills and experience among other factors. The full range of medical financial and/or other benefits may be provided as part of the compensation package dependent on the position offered.

The Los Angeles LGBT Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to fostering diversity within its staff. Applications are encouraged from all persons regardless of their race color ancestry national origin sexual orientation gender identity and expression sex pregnancy childbirth and related medical conditions religion disability age military or veteran status including status as a victim of domestic violence assault or stalking genetic information (including family medical history) political affiliation or activities medical or health conditions or marital status.

The Center has implemented a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy as a condition of employment for all employees who work on the Centers premises subject to applicable federal state and local laws. For more information please contact jobs@ .